Diamond Firetails and masked Finches

[desertbirds]

G`day Jayburd.Most of what i can tell you about diamonds u can read in a book but i think build that aviary as big as you can afford and try to make it mouse proof.A few years back i bought 6 sad and sorry diamonds from a dealer in Adelaide,at half price about $60 a pair.One died and i started with 2 pair.In 2 years i bred 76 , i left a few young ones in there to pair up and they got completely out of hand and i actually had to start pulling nests apart to slow them up.Diamonds are best purchased when they are uncoloured.Buy 3 pairs if you can,ring them and pick the best pairs to keep.1 good pair can produce heaps of young and mine only stop breeding when its hot,above 40 deg that is.Plenty of seeding grasses is the secret to success and mine loved johnson grass which i grow inside the aviary and out.Plant plenty of bird seed and keep it to them.Mine also would devour a sweetcorn a day.See if you can get hold of some Johnson grass as it produces a lot of seed heads and only dies off for awhile in winter.Once its had a flush of seed just chop it back and it will do the same again.Be careful it spreads like wildfire and its pest weed in some states.Diamonds are a great bird to start with and ive heard many breeders say they can literally lift the roof off ,they breed that well.See if you can meet a breeder and spend a bit of time watching how they do things and looking at their set up.Heaps of nesting material and fresh seedheads.I started with Diamonds 30 years ago and i still like to have a few.If there`s anything i can help you with just send me a message.

[Jayburd]

thanks Desertbirds